Arts/Literary
Celebrating Kongi At 77
On Wednesday, July 13, the literary icon fondly called Kongi by some of his admirers added another feather to his age, bringing his number of years on earth to seventy-seven.
Given the achievements of this Nigeria’s arch-bard which have, over the years, opened up fresh vistas and challenges for the emergent generation of poets, novelists and playwrights to nurture their truly daring and adventurous creative spirit, our Arts & Literary Editor, Boye Salau, as a mark of respect, takes a creative look at some of the works and attributes that have made Professor Wole Soyinka an eponymous phenomenon in the world today.
As a writer rightly observed sometimes ago, every epoch in the history of mankind throws up its super human beings that society would look up to and continue to ask questions about what substance they are made of.
Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka belongs to this specie of mankind. He is one of the greatest gifts of mother nature to Nigeria, and by extension, Africa.
In the literary world for example, Soyinka is a quintessential enigma and intellectual giant whose contributions to the three genre ofliterature: Poetry, Prose and Drama are legendary. He set out to be a literary giant since 19 years, an age many people would consider unripe, even in these modern times, for anybody to be a phenomenon, more especially in the difficult world of arts and literature. But for the essential Soyinka, no age is too tender to accomplish a brilliant feat. It is therefore not surprising that Soyinika at age 19 set out to be an iconoclast, a poet, novelist, playwright and essayist who is gifted with a better understanding and use of English Language than most English men.
During Soyinka’s appearance before the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, better known as Oputa Panel, a man who was watching the proceedings once remarked: “This man, Soyinka don dey mad.”
When asked why he a made such a filthy remark about the Nobel Laureate, the man said that despite being an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) holder, he could not understand what Soyinka was saying before the panel as his choice of word dumb-founded him.
Soyinka’s unparalleled, unique contribution to literary world was handsomely rewarded in 1986 with the prestigious Nobel prize for literature, making him the first Africa to win that noble award.
Today, Soyinka is probably Africa’s foremost playwright whose polymatic literary accomplishments have earned Nigeria and Africa as a whole a shining image. He is no doubt an eponymous literary icon and inspirational idol to young writers who always look up to his artistic contents and ingenious use of words. Almost every young writer of this generation is anxious to be infected by Soyinkaism.
As far back as 1974, a writer, Oyin Ogunba, asserted that “… Soyinka is becoming too large …” Some of Soyinka’s contemporaries in the world of literature have even described the Nobel Laureate as the most significant literary artist of contemporary Africa.
If members of his cast could cast Soyinka in that superlative frame and paint him in that glossy picture, how else would the ordinary people examine Wole Soyinka other than to regard him, by all human standard, as Africa’s biggest masquerade and a literary Cappo Di Tutti Capi the captain of captains.
Born in Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State on July 13, 1934, Soyinka’s interest in arts and literature manifested early when, as a pupil of St Peters School, Ake, Abeokuta, he perfectly acted the role of a magician in a drama presented during one of the school’s prize-giving day ceremonies.
At the then University College, Ibadan where he studied English, History and Greek, Soyinka demonstrated his versatility in all the three genres of literature- Poem, Prose and Drama. He had his first poem published in the University Voice, the official newsletter of the students union, while his first short story, Madam Etinne’s Establishment, was published in the Leeds University, United Kingdom Magazine, the Gryphon in 1957.
In 1960, he formed a drama group, The 1960 Masks which acted as a catalyst to Soyinka’s theatre activities. His play, A Dance of the Forests, won the first prize for the independence playwriting contest.
Soyinka’s literary works excite a historical and philosophical sociology. The volume of his creative writings is intimidating such that the job of an all-embracing examination, as Tunde Okoli puts it, is better left in the hands of encyclopedic writers.
Indeed, some of Soyinka’s novels such as Ake: The Years Of Childhood which records his childhood years, The Man Died which provides an insight into his prison experience and The Interpreters which presents a daring mixture of a stream of consciousness and his condensed metaphysical genius bear eloquent testimonies to this assertion.
In the area of arts, Soyinka started experimenting his artistic prowess at age 19 with Camwood on Leaves, a play which serves as the springboard for his literary career and which 31 years later, earned him the Africa’s first Nobel prize for literature and launched him to national and international limelight.
The Lion and The Jewel written in 1963 is another popular and essential play. Having been consistently used in the school curriculum, the book has been a must read for every secondary school student. Others include The Trials of Brother Jero (1994), a light-hearted satire that captures the activities and excess of phoney beach prophets; Madmen and Specialists (1970) which captures and reflects on the horrors of the three-year Nigerian civil war, otherwise known as the Biafran war, Kongi’s Harvest, A Play of Giants and King Baabu which are all reflections of dictatorship in Africa, and by extension, in the world.
In the same vein, Soyinka shows copious mastery of poetry. In this genre of literature, it is difficult to account for the number of poems written by him. The popular ones, however, are Idanre, the first of his poetry collections, Ogun Abibiman, A shuttle in the crypt, Requiem and a host of others.
Soyinka’s sterling profile however, goes beyond the shore of arts and literature. He is also a revolutionary tiger whose poetry, prose, drama and essays serve as medication to a nation suffering from institutional amnesia. As Samuel Ajayi, a journalist put it sometimes ago, Soyinka is a nemesis to dictators in need of physicians to cure them of a positional disease that makes Nigerian leaders forget that there is always a tomorrow.
Therefore, for such a formidable wordsmith, irresistible critic and illustrious son of Nigeria who has continued to use his creative works, intellectual prowess and his pro-democracy activism to serve humanity, transform his society and restore glory to his fatherland, one cannot but salute professor Soyinka who, two days ago, added another feather to his gerontocratic age.
Boye Salau
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode